Karnataka High Court Criticizes Temple Committee’s Claim That Nearby Slum Dwellers Threaten Sanctity of Religious Premises

The Karnataka High Court recently dealt with a plea filed by a temple committee objecting to the presence of slum dwellers residing near the temple premises. The committee argued that such habitation compromised the sanctity and religious purity of the temple environment. The Court categorically rejected this reasoning, holding it discriminatory and inconsistent with constitutional principles of equality and dignity. It noted that no community or institution can stigmatize residents based on socio-economic status or use religious grounds to justify exclusionary practices. The Court emphasized that slum dwellers, like all citizens, are entitled to live with dignity and cannot be deprived of housing rights under the guise of religious sentiment. It observed that sanctity of religious sites cannot be weaponized to perpetuate inequality or marginalization. The ruling underscores judicial intolerance toward socially regressive claims and affirms constitutional values over sectarian arguments. The case reinforces that urban governance must balance religious sensitivities with the fundamental rights of marginalized populations.